The Daniel Prayer – Part 2

Outstanding character than all the rebellion and disobedience. In other words, he stopped pointing the finger at them. He stopped blaming others welcome to living in the light with Bible teacher and Graham lots important to leave a message from the Daniel prayer Anne's message today on living a life begins with a brief biography of Daniel from chapter 1. Here's a the prophet Daniel in chapter 1. Remember when he came and slaved about 15 years of age. They changed his name so that his name not honored a pagan god. I'm expecting that they expect they emasculated him because his overseer's immediate supervisor was the chief of the UNIX and they said he would have to eat food that came from the Kings table meeting at first and offered as meaning that every time he ate a bite, he would be given tribute to a pagan God sedan can prevent his name from the change. He couldn't prevent what they did to him physically, but he wasn't about to eat food that was offered to him and give tribute or not.

So he said I'm not going to do that and he said, just give me a test put me on board and vegetables and fruit for 10 days and so they did and after 10 days he was healthier and smarter than all those who compromise because God is faithful. In chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar them king of Babylon had a dream he woke up he was very disturbed to call the wise men. He said I want you to not just interpret the dream, but tell me what the dream was because I forgot in the Wiseman's and I can do that and he said we are good for nothing any order the molecule and Daniel was at that .1 of the wrong answer. He just got a death sentence tomorrow night. The next morning God had given him the dream and the interpretation because God is faithful. In chapter 3, his three friends out on the plain of Shinar refused to bow down to the stature of golden surveyor from the fiery furnace and the son of God shows up, not a hair on their heads was singed because God is faithful. In chapter 5, Daniel goes and that feast of Bill Chavez around density is Nebuchadnezzar's grandson is a spoiled brat and there in this big drunken orgy in the middle of the drinking that brought out the vessels dedicated to the glory of God in the temple in Jerusalem and they were trusting their pagan God enters his hand and begins writing on the only indigo stone cold sober. And he calls her Daniel and Daniel tells Bill Shatzer to its basis. Your life will be required and that night the Medes and Persians slipped under the gate and they took Bill Shatzer's life because God is faithful. In chapter 6 the next King Darius egomaniac.

He was convinced the enemies of Daniel to declare that people can only pray to him and he found that in the law and Daniel opened his window to Jerusalem like he did three times a day, got on his knees praying was arrested, thrown to the lions den. Next morning the king Daniel is your God been able to deliver you all.

Yes, he sent an angel to shut the lion's mouth because God is faithful, confident in the faithfulness of God by his experience, what experiences have you had of God's faith. Daniel was confident of God's faithfulness to God's righteousness in verse seven.

Lord you are righteous you do the right thing. Think about it when finally Judah had so rebelled against God that is sending the Babylonians and it took him 22 years because God was so patient. He didn't want any to perish. He was just wanting Judah to repent and he would've stayed his hand of judgment when she refused and she became belligerent and defiant. He said in the Babylonians, they tore down the walls of the city. They burned the city with fire and they took Solomon's glorious Temple, and they left and they took all the treasures back in Babylon and the people related to slaughtering the streets.

They took off in the captivity and saying God the right thing.

God is faithful.

He's righteous is good. Verse 15 Daniel was confident of his greatness. Now Lord our God who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and you made for yourself a name that endures to this day.

In other words, God, if you could move the heart of Pharaoh to let your people go you can move the heart of this Persian emperor to let your people go because God is a great God and God could save Noah from his judgment in the flood if he could save the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt if he could save them from pursuing army and open the Red Sea and bring them through if he could save them in the world and small repairs like my know all the sites all those enemies bring the promised land. Given victory after victory after victory Jesus from the 100 people today. The people in your circle. The people in your family and your church and your name is Cindy and this is shown is not to be clear, I don't think God is still calling out to terminate made a an alternative, you is not too late, but I believe were on the brink and word over into their business and were going to reach that tipping point where it will be too late.

It will be like Jeremiah crying as we watch our nation destroy itself.

Jeremiah had eyes to see in the ears that here in the heart to understand the impact of the Babylonians was God did read the newspaper that day. I doubt it would've said that read the newspaper today.

It talks about record-breaking storms. It talks about murders and polarization in writing. They don't have the eyes to see and pack is a righteous holy God is just backing away giving us over to ourselves at discharge. So God is a great God. Listen to if he can deliver the Jews from Egypt if you can deliver the Jews as he did. Eventually, from Persia, he can deliver your loved one. He can deliver Carnation but we need to turn the get serious about pray Daniel not only was confident in God.

Now we see him just pouring out his heart and confession of sin deeply contrite and is he goes to this parameter can take the time to go through it but redo the sprayer. It's really amazing uses plural pronouns all the way through it.give you an example in verse five he says we have sinned, and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled.

We have turned away from your commands in your law and you see that we are. He was so identifying with the sin of his people that he took it on himself, as though it was his own, and Daniel was an exemplary person you read about is like there is not more outstanding character than Daniel and all the Old Testament, but he sang our sin, rebellion, our disobedience and authority stop pointing the finger at them. He stopped blaming others and he took on the sin of his people as though were his own, and I'm speaking to myself. It's hard to do is because we do see them as the problem and they are but were sinners hungry. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Well, humbling, in need of God's mercy and forgiveness and grace so we can save our sin and rebellion are need of you. Oh dear God, we need each and so he confessed when is the last time you confessed. You wait until you church as communion and then you just gotta know God forgive me my many sins, or every day you keep short accounts. God, I'm so sorry it was impatient. I'm so sorry for that thought that it is just that pass through my mind about drop on it, you know, I really had a conversation with that person and online in the stomachache it's really coming from bitterness and unforgiveness in headaches that come from anger and unbeknown confession of sin every day when you entered in the covenant relationship with God. You've come to the cross you're forgiven you know that of all of your sin, past, present and future. Praise God, he will never hold you accountable for the guilt of your sin ever again. You know that it's all in the blood of Jesus when he said it's finished a minute, it's finished, you're forgiven you cleansed your clothes, and his righteousness supply we come back to the cross every day to confess our sin in order to just keep her ship with God's to make sure there's no barriers between him and us to confess our sin so that there's nothing that is clogging the flow of his Holy Spirit innocent through us so that we can be that channel of blessing to other people. Confess your sin and I found myself that that takes courage, takes a lot of courage to see myself as God sees me, because not pretend about myself and I think I'm in a pretty good none the but better than that person. Not as bad as that person got showed me that several years ago that sin in my life I didn't even know was there conviction set in, and it took an enormous current to look at myself as he sees me and confess it using the same labels for the sin that he used confectioners and he confess our sin and our shame.

In verse six and eight. He says we have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to all the people of the land O Lord, we are covered with shame because we've sinned against you and God's messenger of the mesentery sent Jeremiah who spoke with tears in Ezekiel's vocal visions and Amos is the logic Isaiah spoke with eloquence and messenger and other great profits. Best and they were cruising through the land.

Speaking of people in preaching and in their messages were God's word. These were the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, one for the people refuse to listen. He turned rebelled against God, and that Shane and I think in this part of the country. We have some great preachers we have some maybe not so good but you know you turn on television and get some good ones not so good ones. But without a lot of variety a lot of opportunity. We have great churches almost on every street corner where mom is in the bookstores where Bob was in our homes and we have a multitude of translations and we have Bible studies in this area, Bible studies, praise God, and were disobedience and we only have about living for the shame because we know better and I think of America and were different from other nations. You know that the trying to tell us that were not we are in the politically correct people don't want to say this but our nation was founded on faith in God and our first president, George Washington, Congress, and the first to get on his knees and dedicate this nation to the glory of God blessed us, and he's given us his favor, and prosperity and was shaking in his face and stripping the name of his son from everything is public saying we can't take the Bible here. We can't say this, there just should.

Because we know better. And that leads to scorn in verse 16. Your people, or an object of scorn. People the world would look at Jerusalem, and the walls are broken down in the city was burned in the temple was no more.

There was a if your God is God. I don't want to know him. Then it was very clear that what he was asking God.

Verse 16 oh Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts turn away your anger from Drew's O Lord, listen, O Lord, forgive verse 19 oh Lord here and act for your sake. Oh my God, do not delay because your city bears your name so I want you to understand the basic problem in Judah was not the fact she was in captivity in Babylon.

The basic problem in Judah was not that she left her foundation of faith. The basic problem in Judah was not that she was enslaved.

The Babylonians, the basic problem in Judah was sin in America. The basic problem in our nation is not political, not the problem but is not the basic problem and is not the economy and is not immigration. It's not you know technology is not the military is not the basic problem in America is sin. When we pray we can pray for those problems. Yes, we can but bottom line was that all you hear but would you forgive our sin we want to stand in the People, O Lord, here, O Lord, O Lord, forgive walk for the glory of your name.

Bottom line were not just wanting what we want because we wanted easier life we want to be more peaceful. We want our economy to go up so we can have more money to spend on ourselves, were not bottom line for the glory of your as we pray your promise back to you. If your people who are called by your name will humble themselves and pray and seek your face and turn from our wicked ways and God with.net and spent time turning from our wicked ways are confess our sin, repent and turn away from it and therefore guide you said you would hear our prayer and you forgive our sin and heal our land in God. When you do for the glory of your everybody. It's just God's spirit on his people bringing us when I pray would be worth outpouring of frictions to our faith, that would be contagious float in this and through a star land you can't be glorified name of Jesus with big South bottom our prayer is for the glory of God something to tell you if he is glorified through judgment if he is glorified through drawing a red line and when God draws a redline he doesn't vacillate and he draws a redline we cross it and we passed the tipping points he's even in his judgment, Daniels prayer was God. Would you hear my prayer, would you forgive our sin would you hear would you act would you restore us to the place of blessing which restores in a right relationship with yourself, O God, would you deliver us from judgment. Would you take us back home. Then, in a sense, hunkered down in a circle praying for his people. He prayed until his prayer was confirmed and he didn't have long to pray because his prayer was answered immediately in verse 25 I was speaking in prayer in verse 21 follow-up was still up while he was praying. The answer came to him sometimes God answers that quickly and sometimes he does in the next chapter.

He doesn't answer the end of that quickly, but in this case, he answered, and I believe he will answer you and me in the same way and the way he answered Daniel immediately encouraged him an angel Gabriel came to him and said Daniel your prayers been hurt your highly estate.

If that's the only answer I ever got to my prayer it would be enough wouldn't be an heaven is heard. Your praying your howling esteem.

Listen to me someone who stands in the gap for your nation. Someone who intercedes for those within your circle is someone who is highly esteemed Daniels prayer was answered immediately through the encouragement meant through enlightenment when the angel said to him in verse 22 outcome to give you insight and understanding. So, while Daniel was praying he received insight and understanding, and this is a point that maybe is just for one person hurt but it's blessed me.

You have to know everything when you start to pray. You have to have it all figured out. You have to just pray so specific. At home I got a sudden pray for. That's what I got one answer that we you just start to pray and as you pray God will give you insight and understanding as to how to pray he can bring a verse to mind. He can bring a phrase, the money can bring a thought demanding a great idea to much and as you pray he gives you insight and understand as a girl growing up I would get my daddy's big binoculars and I want to see a little bird. The first British summertime indigo Bunting would come out and sell the maple tree in the front yard and take those big binoculars, and I looked at binoculars. Everything was a blurring of the mountains, the bird, the trees just and then I would move that little wheel in the middle and coming to focus and as I looked through the binoculars after another wheel it would come into focus.

Not conceivable.

Indigo Bunting and when you pray in your praying for the nation your praying for our state. Your praying for a city or praying for those in your circle and it's all a blur. And as you pray is like the focus gets sharper and sharper and God just brings you write down what he would have you pray for so probably was pray he received insight and understanding to his prayer was answered immediately, and it was answered. Ultimately, I love this verse 21 angel came to him at the time of the evening sacrifice. There hadn't been a sacrifice in Jerusalem for 47 years. So why in the world would Daniel be mindful of the fact that this answered her prayer was coming at the time of the evening sacrifice nothing because there intentionally or he doesn't do things whimsically or by mistake is very intentional and I think he was giving Daniel a very subtle message Daniel. The answer to your prayer. That's that I would forgive the sin of your people and that I would save you from judgment that's going to come at the time of the evening sacrifice about 450 years from now.

3 o'clock in the afternoon when the Lamb of God will be sacrificed on the altar of light and take my judgment once and for in your people will be set free prayer answered. Ultimately, our prayer ultimately is answered at the cross is Jesus is the answer in Daniel and Old Testament looking through the fog of the year, I believe, was given Old Testament collisions across an answer to his prayer that would bring within his prayer was answered. Also, specifically he had prayed that God would release them, take them back to the city were stored in that place of blessing.

Bring them back in the right relationship with himself.

Three years later as her chapter 1 verse one records in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord removed Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation you can all get your magic.

It was phenomenal while you just turn out this labor force and all the slaves and changes that you can even pay for the trip. You can go back and they got their families together they gathered their belongings back to God. The way to Jerusalem and so excited to be free in the be going back and get back to God in the place of blessing and did they see in the shadow too old to make the journey. Tears coming down his face. Tears of joy and tears were bittersweet. Splashing to the action dressed in sackcloth on his face, praying for his people. What differences a prayer one person make Daniel when you and I are faced with a mass whether it's in our world or the world with its in our nation are home, whether it's in our ministry. Our church our family when were faced with a man's foot difference can one person may, I think one person can make all the difference. We draw circle. We got on her face before God and we plead under compulsion because of the problems that we see in our world and the promises he will be just reverse center down on God confident in his covenant in his character with a contrite broken heart clear in what way and we just keep on praying until he answers our prayers. What differences the prayer.

One person may you not going to know until you choose to be that way more before encloses today's message.

It's our hope you'll join us here again next week is and continues to bring the message of God's truth from God's word years and with this encouragement as you consider her invitation to be that one person who keeps on praying until God answers would you make the choice to be one person who prays like Daniel prayed.

If so, let me give you a heads up, the enemy will try to divert you from your commitment to spend time each day in prayer. Your children will get sick. Company will show up you get slammed with the busiest schedule you've ever had. And once you actually start to pray, that's when the phone rings or the kids start a fight or your thoughts began to scatter all over what you did yesterday and what you had to do today. You get the idea, don't you, but be encouraged when we pray heaven is moved when you and I pray heaven is not only moved, but heaven will respond and rally to our cause.

Jesus himself promised in John 14 verses 13 and 14. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.

So when you fail to consistently keep your commitment to pray as I have so many times don't quit when you struggle with concentration in prayer as I still do. Don't give up when your content seems weak and ineffective as mine is been in so many ways. Keep on keeping on. Remember one day the enemy will be defeated. Finally, completely, totally permanently, eternally so. Until that day. Keep praying the Daniel prayer and all heaven is moved your prayers answered and this nation is changing for the glory of his name. Thank you for listening to living in the light with Bible teacher and grim lots and for more on the Daniel prayer go to Engram lots.org